Canal It Up

We aim for clean plastic-free waterways in Brussels where nature has its place

City to Ocean

Canal It Up changed name but we still aim for clean plastic-free waterways where nature has its place

IS THERE A PROBLEM?

Yes. The canal and the river Senne in Brussels have to face a constant stream of trash, a lack of nature and a bad water quality, which means they also have a negative impact on the waterways and seas downstream.

HOW DO WE WANT TO INTERVENE?

RAISING AWARENESS

Every week we organize kayaking trips on the canal for new volunteers to fish trash our of the water.

GREENING THE CANAL

We propose to give nature its place back in the canal to transform it into a green and pleasant environment for people and animals through the installation of vegetalised islands.

INSTALLING A TRASH BARRIER, PLINTHS ALONG THE CANAL AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DEPOSIT SYSTEM

We are currently working on the installation of a permanent structure, to be placed close to the Molenbeek lock, to stop the trash and take it out of the water. We also advocate the introduction of a deposit on cans and plastic bottles and propose installing plinths that would prevent waste from ending up in the water.

IMPROVING WATER QUALITY

Tackling the problem of the sewage overflows would allow to drasically improve the water quality of the canal.

RECYCLING

We develop creative solutions to recycle the trash collected in the canal.

Join us at our CONFERENCE on waste management and reduction

Germany has the world’s most successful deposit return system for cans and plastic bottles, Prague envisions a waste-free city with underground waste containers and trucks equipped with smart sensors, Paris is in the process of implementing a new French law (AGEC) to avoid waste at the source, Stockholm collects and transports waste through vacuum tubes, and Brussels has inaugurated new waste centers with a focus on the reuse of materials.

Canal It up changed its name into City to ocean!

But why would we do that? Canal It Up is a name that is difficult to understand, and we noticed that people had trouble remembering it.

Moreover, our ambition extends beyond just the canal and the Senne in Brussels. Everything we do wrong or improve in the waterways of a city has an impact downstream, all the way to the sea and even the ocean.

For us, it is also a renewal of our commitment to continue striving for clean and green waterways.

Disconnect your roof: Be part of the solution

Do you live in Brussels with a terrace or a garden and want to install a rainwater harvesting tank or a rain garden to protect waterways?

Sign up now to be among the potential candidates for the free installation of a rainwater tank (with or without a swale)!

Retrieving data...

Sewage overflows are one of the main reasons why the water quality of Brussels waterways isn’t good. Several times per month when it rains polluted sewage water flows into the Senne and the canal. Here you can see a live overflow update and the number of overflows of last month.

NUMBER OF OVERFLOWS LAST MONTH

Sainctelette: November 2024

To the canal

0

To the Senne

0

SEWAGE DISCHARGE METER

Sainctelette:
Overflow events in February 2023

To the canal

0

To the Senne

0

Every month we count the number of days the Sainctelette and Maelbeek overflows are activated and publish the results here. These numbers are to be compared to the current Flemish standard according to which an overflow can only function 7 days per year. The overflows in Brussels exceed this annual amount almost every single month. Three overflows in particular are responsible for 75% of the discharged volume into the Senne and the canal.